Majority of Americans support arming Ukraine, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

Most Americans support providing weapons to Ukraine to defend their country against the Russian invasion and believe such aid shows US interests and a willingness to defend its allies against China and other US rivals. The Americans’ stance on supporting Ukraine was confirmed by a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

In the two-day poll that ended on June 27, the number of respondents in favour of providing arms to Ukraine increased to 65%, compared to 46% in May. According to the latest poll, 81% of Democrats, 56% of Republicans and 57% of independents support the US providing weapons to Ukraine.

The poll was conducted a few days after the head of the Wagner mercenary company, Evgeny Prigozhin, revolted, accusing the Russian Defense Ministry of mismanaging the war in Ukraine.

The findings appear to provide stronger support for US President Joe Biden’s policy of ‘doing whatever it takes’ to help Ukraine retake territory seized by Russian invaders in the initial invasion in 2014 and the all-out war launched by Moscow in February 2022.

“The Republican leadership of the House and Senate will also take heart from this,” says William Taylor, former Ambassador to Ukraine and now at the United States Institute of Peace.

“Republican leaders in both the House of Representatives and the Senate will welcome this development,” he says. Some right-wing Republicans oppose continued US military aid to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has approved 41 weapons packages totalling more than billion for Ukraine since Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched what he called a “special military operation”.